Bone Chip Means Clever Trevor Will Miss Challenge Cup

Instead of trying to upset Sunday Silence and Steinlen in the inaugural running of the $600,000 Arlington Challenge Cup, Clever Trevor will spend Aug. 4 in the operating room.

``He`s going to have to go in for more knee surgery,`` said trainer Donnie Von Hemel. ``That`s the reason he`s out of the race.

``After we breezed him Tuesday morning we noticed something wasn`t right. We took X-rays and saw there was a bone chip in the right knee. I think we`ll have the operation on Aug. 4.

``He won`t race again this year. We`ll probably bring him back early next year at either Remington Park or Oaklawn Park.``

Von Hemel moved his strong stable to Arlington this summer to use the track as a base for Clever Trevor`s campaign.

The 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding was one of the nation`s finest 3-year-olds last year when he had four wins and three places in 10 races. He won the St. Paul Derby by seven lengths, equaling the Canterbury Downs 1 1/8-mile record in the process, then captured the Arlington Classic by nine lengths.

After having arthroscopic surgery to remove chips from both knees last fall, Clever Trevor hit the comeback trail in June at Arlington. He won an allowance race on the dirt by five lengths, then came back to score a three-length victory in another allowance race that was his introduction to grass racing.

Next, Von Hemel shipped Clever Trevor to Detroit, where he faded to a fourth-place finish in the Michigan Mile and One-Eighth, a race that unexpectedly turned out to be his final start of the year.

Although Mi Selecto`s trainer, Angel Penna, and Beau Genius` trainer, Gerald Bennett, haven`t officially announced the defection of their horses, sources say neither intends to compete in the Challenge Cup.

It appears there will be five starters with Opening Verse, Western Playboy and Santangelo running against Sunday Silence, the defending champion Horse of the Year, and Steinlen, last year`s national champion grass horse.

Sunday Silence was on the track for a workout Thursday. He was timed in 59 seconds for five furlongs by the clockers, but Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham said his colt worked six furlongs and went the route in 1:12.

``I got about what I wanted,`` Whittingham said. ``Barring the unforeseen this should be his best race this year.``

Sunday Silence had arthroscopic knee surgery following his triumph in the $3 million Breeders` Cup Classic last November and didn`t return to the races until early June, when he led all the way to win the Grade I

Californian.

Santangelo also worked Thursday. He was timed in 1:13 4/5 for six furlongs.``He`s not much of a work horse,`` explained trainer Gedaliah Goodman, who wants to keep the South American import here and run him in the Sept. 2 Arlington Million. ``I`ll probably send him into the Cup off gallops. He`s a strong galloper-typically he goes 2 to 2 1/2 miles and that`s enough to get him ready for the Cup.``

- Defending champion Gaily Gaily and the entry of Coolawin and Majestic Legend (owned by Jim Tafel and trained by Carl Nafzger) head the field of 12 for Saturday`s Grade III $75,000-added Modesty for fillies and mares on the Arlington grass.